Media Contacts: Brady Smith, Director of Marketing [email protected] Kim Roberts, Communications Manager [email protected] History Center to Host Virtual Book Launch -"Highlights From the Italian American Collection: Western Pennsylvania Stories” explores the pivotal role Italian Americans played in shaping the region - PITTSBURGH, June 9, 2020 – The Senator John Heinz History Center will host a virtual book launch for its newest publication, “Highlights From the Italian American Collection: Western Pennsylvania Stories” by Melissa E. Marinaro, on Tuesday, June 16 at 1 p.m. “Highlights From the Italian American Collection” is a fascinating visual history told through artifacts, archives, and oral histories from the History Center’s Italian American Collection, which is one of the most comprehensive of its kind in the United States. It is available for purchase from the History Center’s E-Store at shop.heinzhistorycenter.org. The book honors 30 years of the Italian American Program and its documentation of the Italian American community of Western Pennsylvania. This virtual program will feature a conversation with: • Melissa E. Marinaro, the book’s author and the director of the Italian American Program at the Heinz History Center; • Cathy Cerrone Fratto, the first curator of the History Center's Italian American Collection; and • Dr. Laura E. Ruberto, a humanities professor at Berkeley City College and a leading scholar in the field of Italian American Studies. The History Center’s Italian American Collection is dedicated to preserving the history and culture of Italian Americans in Western Pennsylvania. Founded in 1990, the Italian American Collection is home to artifacts, archival materials, and oral histories that document the pivotal role Italian Americans play in shaping our region. This important collection gives voice to the immigrant experience in America. This program is free and will be presented via YouTube Live. Please register in advance at heinzhistorycenter.org/events. The Senator John Heinz History Center, an affiliate of the Smithsonian Institution and the largest history museum in Pennsylvania, presents American history with a Western Pennsylvania connection. The History Center and Sports Museum are located at 1212 Smallman Street in the city’s Strip District. The History Center’s museum system includes the Sports Museum; the Fort Pitt Museum in historic Point State Park; and Meadowcroft Rockshelter and Historic Village, a National Historic Landmark located in Avella, Pa. in Washington County. More information is available at www.heinzhistorycenter.org. The Heinz History Center will host a virtual book launch for its newest publication, “Highlights From the Italian American Collection: Western Pennsylvania Stories” by Melissa E. Marinaro, on Tuesday, June 16 at 1 p.m. # # # .